Carlos blinked, once—then again—as though the world had slipped out of alignment and was only now settling back into place.
A strange lightness washed over him. Not relief exactly—more like the absence of something heavy he hadn't realised he'd been carrying. His balance faltered. He lifted a hand to his head, fingers brushing his temple, half-expecting pain, half-expecting proof that something was wrong.
That was when he noticed Ocean.
He stood before him, close enough that Carlos could make out the sharp clarity in his gaze. For a fleeting second, Carlos had the unsettling sense that he had interrupted something mid-motion—something important—but the thought refused to solidify.
Something had happened.
He just couldn't remember what.
His eyes drifted downward, drawn by an unfamiliar weight against his chest.
Blue.
